Spalding to stage disability festival

Plans are underway for the first ever music festival for people with physical and learning disabilities in Spalding.

It is being spearheaded by mums Alyson Commons and Rita Stacey. Together with Samantha Harley-Pesce, they set up the Going Forward Social Group last year for young adults with disabilities.

It came after Lincolnshire County Council funding cuts for specialist after-school and holiday clubs for those aged 18 or more.

Alyson said: “The festival is not an original idea. We had seen on Facebook a few other places where this had been done but not anything in the south of the county.

“So I spoke to Rita who runs the social group with me and said what do you reckon for our next project?

“We felt it would be nice to put on the festival for people of all ages with learning disabilities and physical disabilities; for people to be able to attend a festival so if they are having a bad day, or having a melt-down nobody will take any notice.

“Because we are all in the same boat nobody is going to judge you.

“We’ve planned the date for July 28 next year and are looking at possibly holding it at the Priory School in Spalding.

“We are looking for local bands but we are on a really tight budget so we hope that we can get some local businesses to sponsor us and would like to hear from charities who would like to have a stall there. It will be an outdoor event.”

To get involved email Alyson at houseofcommons2@hotmail.co.uk or search for Going Forward Music Festival 2018 on Facebook.